Wheat-cleaner.



J. J. RAMSAUR.

WHET CLEANER.

.PYLIOATION FILED 001121, 1912'A i363@ ,3% Eatenzed May 27,19%.

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WHIIVTJGLEANEB," nymomxo PILED 001221. 19m.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

Patented May 27', 1913.

ma m m P fo. r/AW WITNESSES f By mi@ UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN .T-ACKSON RAMSAUR, OF LINCOLNTON, NORTH CAROLINA.

WHEAT-CLEANER.

Specication of Letters Patent.

Patented May 27, 1913.

Application filed October 21, 1912. Serial No. 726,965.

To all 'whom t may concern.' Y

Be it known that I, JOHN J. RAMsAUn, a

' `citizen of the United States, and a resident of Lincolnton, in the county of Lincoln and State of "North Carolina, have invented a new and Improved Wheat-Cleaner, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to machinery for winnowing or cleaning grain in mills or elevators, and has particular reference to a slight modication by any person wishing to clean i grain with respect -to dust, chail", screenings or the like.

The invention comprises a mechanism including independent -fans for operating upon the grain while it is passing through the machine at different places, the arrangement being such that the impurities are withdrawn fromA the grain at a great many p different points, whereby the purification isv carried on to a very perfect degree without in any manner carrying over or wasting any of the good grain.

)A further object ofthe invention is to construct a machine so as to readily control the various operations, whereby the ditfen,l ent functions are regulated according to the various requirements, and whereby the output of a machine with respect to the amount' of power required is very muchenlarged over other machines previously proposed.

The foregoing and other objects of the invent-ion are attained by the mechanism hereinafter fully described and claimed, and

illustrated in the accompanying drawings,

whereon similar parts are referred to-by reference characters, and of which- Figure 1 is aside elevation of a machine made Ain accordance with this invention; Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the same; and Fig. 3 is a detail of a modification of the means for discharging the dust from the dust receptacle, the same including an endless scr'aper and a screwrconveyer.

Referring particularly to the drawings, I provide a casing 10 having y any suitable form of framework 11 adapted to support ary within the casing the same upon a floor or other support.

The framework will constitute the means for supporting the operating parts of the machine, together with the adjust-ing devices described below.

The numeral 12 represents a spout leading from any suitable sourceA of supply for the grain to be cleaned, the grain flowing therethrough into a hopper 13 having avalve 14 hinged at 15 and held more or less closed by means of an adjustable weight 16. By this means the position of the valve 14 may be, regulated to control the speed of the flow of grain from the hopper 13.

Below the hopper 13 and valve 14 are arranged a succession of chutes 17, shown herein as five in number, into and through which as many blasts of air are admitted through the openings 17 in the frontvof the casin The grain passing from the valve14 alls across said chutes in succession,`and overa series of shelves or ledges 18, the grain rolling from the'shelf `18 at the bottom of each chute, through an open# ing 18', upon the shelf 18 of the neXt chute,

untill it reaches a shoe, described below.- The chutes 17,1ead upwardly and thence laterally toward a fan casing 19, in which is journaled a fan 20. The upper ends of the chutes are guarded by a series of ad'ustable valves 21, whereby the intensity o the blasts may be regulated in any suitable manner, as, vfor instance, by providing each of the valves with a slotted arm 22 to which is connecteda bar 23, and adjustable by means of a hand screw 211 or the like on the. outside of the casing.

The blast caused by the fan 20 leads from the chutes 17 through a screen 25 made of wire netting, or the like, which serves the purpose of obstructing the passage to the fanA of straw, strings, or other large light particles; the dust, however, and smaller particles passing through said screen and into the fan casing as through one or both ends thereof, and thence driven downwardly into a receptacle 26 having double Walls 27 made of fabric which will permit the air to be dissipated but retain the dust and other light particles within the same.' Said receptacle is connected with the'fan casing 19 by means of a cloth or other flexible connection28, which will permit the receptacle to be oscillated or a tated without disturbing the fan casing, w ich is preferably station- 10. The screen 25 is kept substantiallyl clean for the passageof 

